The Last Ragged Defenders - Book I: Exiles
by TheWyseman
Summary: The Elder Scrolls always foretold of the fateless Heroes chosen to save the world. With assassins chasing the Emperor through her prison cell, Thalsa, a Dunmer exiled from her homeland, has no choice but to become the last beacon of hope for Tamriel. With several other wayward souls fighting alongside her, she just might stand a chance. Hero of Kvatch/Martin Septim, several OCs
1. Prologue

**A/N: Welcome to the first project I have planned, a retelling of TES IV: Oblivion. Inspired mostly by my favourite playthrough of the game, we'll be witnessing the struggles of a young Dunmer exile and those that are involved in her fate. Whilst the focus of the story will primarily be the main questline, portions of the various guild questlines (The Mages Guild, The Arena and so on) will be included. I apologise in advance for the lower quality of the first few chapters, its been a long while since I've written anything of this length so i'm a bit rusty. Feedback would be highly appreciated, I hope you enjoy the story.**

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22nd of Last Seed, Gilane, Hammerfell Province

The end of summer in Hammerfell very rarely meant the end of the raw heat that the province was renowned for. For the denizens of the city of Gilane were enduring a heatwave that many would compare to the lava-blasted realm of Oblivion known as The Deadlands, an argument not many in Gilane would disagree with, indeed the late morning sun pounded down upon the town with the ferocity of a feral Daedroth.

Prince Enman sighed audibly as he traipsed through the marketplace, he wasn't used to the boiling climate of Hammerfell, the heat gave him a terrible rash and the sun scorched the top of his head, his thinning hairline doing nothing. The middle child of Emperor Uriel VII briefly wondered why anybody would even consider visiting the city, much less live there. He silently cursed his brothers Geldall and Ebel for organising the meeting between the three sons of Emperor Uriel VII in such a horrendous place before turning to his two bodyguards, a middle aged Imperial man who walked with the stance of a man who had seen too much war, and a young Breton woman with eyes that fiercely glowed with an amber light, who had been walking closely behind him.

"How far to this blasted meeting?" He inquired, directing his question to the Imperial. The Imperial man stopped and gazed across the marketplace, eyes scanning for notable landmarks. The Breton kept a lookout for any possible assailants with an arm raised, her fingers splayed apart as the air shimmered faintly with the heat emanating from a small ball of fire. Enman eyed the Breton with distaste and turned to address the Imperial again.

"Knight-Captain Larius, I informed your superiors in the Blades that there were to be no magic users assigned to my guard. Sadly it seems that they didn't understand that request and now I'm forced to contend with that." He pointed an accusing finger in the direction of the Breton.

The Breton glared angrily at Enman but restrained herself and lowered her arm, dispelling the fireball as she did. Larius glanced back at the prince before returning to his scan of the marketplace, after a few seconds his eyes settled on his charges destination in the north of the city. Their destination was the old palatial estate that, over three hundred years prior, had been home to one of the old Emperors. Motioning to Enman and the Breton to continue walking, he settled into a brisk pace as the prince hurried to his side, determined to continue his griping.

"Did you not hear me Captain?" The prince's voice shook slightly with the tone of a man who was clearly not happy with being ignored. Larius gave the Prince a barely disguised look of contempt, "I heard you my Lord, and yes I understand your concern. But you need not worry about Knight-Sister Evangeline, she's only an apprentice battlemage, but her specialty is using counter-spells such as Silence and Strength Draining in combat, any one attacks us with sword or spell and they'll find themselves at a major disadvantage."

Enman's expression of disgust grew even more severe until he held the look of a man who had just been vomited on by a drunkard, sniffing loudly he voiced his contempt once more. "Yes well, those certainly are impressive tricks but I fail to understand two things, one: why I need a treacherous, backstabbing daedra worshipper escorting me to a diplomatic meeting and two: why you don't keep the bitch collared. Magic is a blight on this land and I for one do... n...not..." Enman shuddered heavily and coughed. Larius knew full well what had just happened, but gave Enman an inquisitive look.

"Is everything alright my lord?"

"I... yes everything is fine. Let's hurry to the meeting, the blasted sun is roasting me alive."

With that the prince fell silent, Larius allowed him to move ahead and fell back to his position next to Evangeline. He gazed his subordinate with weary eyes. "I trust that Drain Endurance spell wasn't permanent Sister." The Breton gave him an appalled look, "No offence Sir, but are you bloody serious?!" She hissed, "You heard what he said about me! The fucking wretch is acting like I'm Jagar Tharn!" She spat on the floor before continuing, "Tharn! That bastard died before I was even born and yet everybody tells me how Battlemages are backstabbing traitors!" Larius understood the reasons for her anger, so he calmly allowed her to vent.

The mission to protect Prince Enman had been a rather stressful one, not in the least due to the strain of both Enman's inflexible anti-Battlemage beliefs and Evangeline's temper being renowned for its short fuse. Whilst waiting for her to finish, he returned to his watch of his surroundings. Almost immediately however, he noticed that something was very, very wrong. As quick as a flash, the Imperial's three decades of Blades training kicked in, one hand going straight for his Akaviri Katana.

"Knight-Sister! Keep silent and listen!" He barked with such little warning that Evangeline flinched backwards and Enman stumbled in his attempt to hastily spin around to see what had happened. Regaining her composure, Evangeline glanced around at where they were, they were roughly a block away from the estate in a narrow street that served as an entrance to the main highway running alongside the estate. Their plan had been was to meet two members of the Gilane guard on this road to have them accompany them to the meeting as extra security. However, not only were there no other living beings in the area, not only was the street ahead was blocked by two upturned carts, but it was almost completely silent save for the faint noises of combat a block away from the Blades, noises which seemed to be coming from the direction of the estate.

Evangeline looked back at her superior for orders, Larius quickly checked for possible ambush points and positioned himself in front of Enman. He glanced back at his apprentice, trusting her reaction time was quick today. "Detect Life Spell, 200 feet! I want to know what the hell is going on!" He yelled to his companion. With a nod of acknowledgement, Evangeline raised her right arm above her head, summoning a flash of purple energy which illuminated the life force of those around her. The battlemage focused upon the estate and regarded the scene before her; there was indeed a battle occurring at the estate, one group which appeared to be the Gilane Guardsmen and the Blades battling another force.

"There's a battle going on at the estate." She announced, "Blades and Gilane guards fighting against... I don't know who, assassins most likely." Prince Enman turned an even paler shade of grey and his legs began to tremble, Larius' brow furrowed and he glanced at the estate, "How are they holding up?" Evangeline watched as the Guardsmen and Blades defended against attacks from all sides, "Not well, they're outnumbered three to one and the assassins keep coming." Turning back to her superior, Evangeline continued, "Sir, we need to get up there before they... Look out!"

Larius heard the soft whistle of a short sword cutting through the air behind him and instantly understood. He whirled around, bringing up his katana to block the attack as Eva sent a weak fireball at the assailant, the burning orb knocking them off balance and allowing Larius to deflect the incoming attack before shoving the assassin to the floor.

Before the assassin could recover, Larius thrust his katana straight through their windpipe, Enman retched loudly and turned away. As the assassin struggled to wheeze through the wound in their neck, the Blades took a proper look at the attacker. A She-Mer most likely, the actual race couldn't be determined as the armour she wore included a face mask and hood which concealed her head completely.

Larius could not place the make of the armour, it certainly wasn't Tamrielic, Daedric perhaps? If so then it had been heavily modified from the cuirasses he had seen on the rare occasions that he was witness skilled conjurers summoning bound sets for protection. The She-Mer gave a tremendous shudder, trying in vain to sit up before expiring with a final harsh wheeze. The armour disintegrated in a cloud of red smoke. Smiling grimly as his speculation was confirmed, Larius saw the olive toned skin, a Bosmer then. Remembering the situation in the estate, he turned to Evangeline. "What's the situation in the estate?" he called to her.

Turning to look at the estate, Evangeline quickly analysed the scene, "The fightings stopped for the moment, a few of the guards are okay but there's a lot of injured, hang on... They're sending someone our way!"

The Knight-Captain looked back at the estate and saw a city guard hurrying towards them, it would be a minute at least before he reached them. Evangeline felt a change in the area of her Detect Life spell behind her, catching the captains attention as she cursed loudly. Turning around they were greeted with the sight of five more assassins sprinting straight for them, Daedric weapons in hand.

The apparent leader raised a threatening mace above his head, screaming "Death to the Septims!" at the top of his lungs. Larius gripped his katana with both hands and charged forward, determined to catch them off guard. Eva quickly cast shield spells upon him as one of the assassins launched a lightning bolt at him, barely noticing that the Prince was stood behind her looking positively terrified.

"Stop that mage!" Larius yelled back at her, taking the bolt squarely in the chest as the shield spell absorbed it. He brought the razor-sharp katana down across the chest of one of the assassins, slicing through both ribcage and heart, killing him instantly. Two of the assassins rushed in to keep Larius away from their mage whilst the mace wielding leader charged past, still heading straight for Enman.

Evangeline quickly cast a hasty shield spell upon the Prince before focussing her magicka into a magnificent spear of a frost-bolt. Praying that the approaching guard was close enough to distract the leader, she launched the bolt at one of Larius' attackers. The frost-bolt hurtled through the air, barrelling into the head of its target and thoroughly eviscerating it. Losing none of its velocity, the frost-bolt caught the assassins' mage squarely in the chest, killing him instantly and sending him flying backwards. Not taking a moment to pause, Larius used his other foe's momentary distraction to drive his sword straight into their heart. The mace wielder reach Evangeline but instead of attacking her directly, he jabbed his free hand into her neck, stunning her whilst he swung wildly at Enman.

As quickly as Enman tried to move out of the assassin's reach, he was not fast enough and the mace connected with his hip, smashing into the bone with a sickeningly loud crunch. Screaming in pain, Enman toppled over as the mace-man darted forward for the killing blow. Before he could reach however, the messenger guard clambered over the carts and tackled the assassin. As the two men landed, Evangeline recovered enough to cast a Silence spell on the assassin, preventing him from using magic and allowing the guard to pin the man down. Larius ran over to check Enman and found him barely concious, the shield spell barely managed to save his life.

The assassin cackled madly beneath the guard. "You think this is over?" He taunted between fits of insane laughter, "There are more of us, there are always more! The Emperor and his heirs will die and our Lord will be triumphant!" The assassin forced the guard off of himself and scrambled back. Before the Blades could react, he withdrew a hidden dagger. "Paradise awaits me!" He screamed, sawing away at his throat until he finally toppled over dead.

Evangeline stared at the assassin's corpse, still too dazed to properly listen in on the conversation that the guard and Larius were holding. Her captain staring down at her made her properly aware of her surroundings and she looked up, "Yes Sir?" she inquired. Larius gave her a long look of concern before swallowing hard.

"Listen to me." He began, "There'll be another assault on the way, you heard that madman. The other princes are targets too, even the Emperor is." Helping her to her feet, he continued. "Get to Chorrol and find Grandmaster Jauffre, tell him about the attack and the plot against the Emperor and he'll know what to do."

Evangeline knew what Larius was about to do, she nearly told him to go instead as at least he'd be a better asset to the Empire but she knew he wouldn't accept that for an answer. Fighting back her fears, she recomposed herself, "As you command Sir. But what about-" Larius cut her off, "That's an order for immediate action Knight-Sister! It's a two day ride to Taneth, once you get there use the Mages Guild portals to get to Rihad, hopefully the border to Cyrodiil is open and you'll get to Chorrol in five days. Get there without any delays, the Empire depends on it. Got it?" Evangeline nodded reluctantly. "Good, we're defending Enman here, should give you time to get out of the city, now go!"

Without another word, Evangeline turned and belted for the city gates, already she could see more life forces approaching and she sped up to evade them. Despite the danger, she escaped Gilane without incident. The same could sadly not be said of Knight-Captain Larius but she already knew that much. The Knight-Sister's journey to Taneth was fraught with peril, as at least one group of the assassins had followed her. Fortunately a Mages Guild party encountered her and defeated her pursuers. One of the party was even helpful enough to take her directly to Rihad with a Recall spell. Evangeline held a lot of gratitude to the Guild for that gesture, but she would have to repay it at a later date.

Resolving herself for the arduous three day ride ahead, she promised herself that she would succeed. She would deliver the warning and save her Emperor. As she made her way towards the border to Cyrodiil, Evangeline had no idea that the message she carried would change the fate of not just the Emperor, but all of Tamriel.


	2. Chapter I - A Chance Encounter

**A/N: Well, with this chapter the story truly begins. My free time to write isn't very much, but hopefully I will be able to keep up with my planned schedule of releasing a chapter every week or so. As always, I appreciate any feedback given to me so feel free to leave a review!  
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 **(RE: Reviews, i'll respond to any reviews I get when I post a new chapter)**

 **HH199618: Thank you for reviewing! I hope you enjoy whats to come!**

 **Well i've rambled enough for now, lets begin.  
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 **Chapter I - A Chance Encounter  
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27th Last Seed, The Imperial City, Cyrodiil Province

"Well, well, I must surely be dead, and in the halls of Azura to look upon such a vision of beauty."

Thalsa Sarethi awoke with a start. The voice she had heard echoed slightly, which was odd as she should be in her room in the King and Queen Tavern. As her crimson eyes snapped open, the memories of the previous night came flooding back with a stabbing pain in her head.

She had been settling down for the night after working for the innkeeper, Ley Marillin, for the day when an Imperial guard had burst through her door, he was yelling some nonsense about a fox and how she was a thief before he attempted to arrest her. In her panic, which may have been fuelled slightly by her partaking in the wine after her shift had ended, she may or may not have sent a frost-bolt at him in self-defence. The last thing she remembered was the guard howling in pain clutching his shoulder and two more guards bolting in, one of them smashing the pommel of his sword down on Thalsa's head like a hammer, hence the pain she was feeling.

Thankfully, after a few seconds the pain subsided into a more tolerable throbbing, and Thalsa took the opportunity to look at her surroundings. She was not in the King and Queen, nor in a bedroom at all, she was trapped in a cell in the dungeons of the Imperial Prison. Cursing her bad luck under her breath, she reached up to touch the throbbing wound. Pain shot across her head once more and Thalsa moaned in agony. She swore loudly in Dunmeris, gaining a great cackle of laughter in response.

"That's quite a mouth on the pretty maiden!" chortled the voice. Ignoring the laughter, Thalsa felt her head gently, taking care to avoid another stab of pain. Having some training in Restoration magic, she was quickly able to determine the source of the pain. Her skull was intact luckily, but the guard's strike had been heavy enough to cause a large cut on her scalp. A jagged line now running along her temple, stopping just beyond her hairline on the top-right of her forehead. _'Looks like there'll be a scar even after I heal it.'_ She thought to herself.

The cut had been bleeding whilst she was unconscious and as she moved her hand through her hair below the cut, she found that most of her blonde hair was now stained red with damp blood. Thalsa sighed, her blonde hair was somewhat of a rarity among Dunmer. A Breton trader she had know once remarked that it was similar to red hair on Imperials. Holding her hand up to the cut, Thalsa attempted to cast the strongest healing spell she knew to cease the throbbing. What she got instead was the faint blue glow of her weakest healing spell, the one she would use for small cuts and bruises. Frowning in confusion, Thalsa tried once more, this time with a slightly weaker spell. The same faint glow was all that she received.

Thalsa didn't understand. The blow to the head hadn't affected her memory as she still knew the spell, but it appeared that a draining Silence spell had been placed on her whilst she slept. Thankfully the throbbing ebbed away with the second spell cast, and she was now able to properly stand up.

"Having trouble over there mage-maiden? Can't fireball your way out of there?" Shouted the voice once again. Gritting her teeth in irritation, Thalsa turned and strode as best she could over to the cell door. With her eyes now properly adjusted to the dankness of the Prison, she noticed that the cell opposite to hers was occupied by a snide looking Mer, a Dark Elf like herself. "Up are we my sweet?" The other Dunmer asked mockingly, "That's good that is, you've been out like a light since the guards dragged you in here! Are you able to walk properly dear? I could help with some er... physical exertion if you'd like."

"I'm fine thanks." Thalsa replied curtly, "Do you usually proposition random strangers?"

The Dunmer snorted, "Maidens such as you always fall at the feet of Valen Dreth when they hear of my physical prowess, I'll have you know I fought off six Imperial Guards bare handed when they came to arrest me!" He exclaimed smugly.

Thalsa rolled her eyes, she had met others like him before when she still lived in Blacklight. Suitors looking to claim her like a trophy to improve their standing by marrying the daughter of one of the Council members of House Redoran. She always rebuffed them and chose to train to become a Spellsword, embracing both the grace of magic and pure martial might, much to the chagrin of her father Athyn.

It had been more than seven years now since she had dealt with any suitors however, seven long years since she left Morrowind, seven years since she started evading the Morag Tong. And now she had let herself get complacent and instead of an assassin tracking her down, the Imperial Guard managed to arrest her on false charges, locking her up in a tiny cell for what would likely be years of taunting from some washed up old fetcher of a Dark Elf. Ancestor preserve her, she'd kill Dreth within the first week if he kept up with his inane chatter.

Her kinsman was either not paying attention to the clear look of disgust on her face, or he didn't care. He continued regardless, "One of the guards owes me a favour, you know. I could get us put in the same cell. Would you like that my dear? You should have some fun before the end after all." His smug grin was now turning malicious as he let out a low chuckle. Thalsa stared at him in confusion. "The end of what?" She asked, her irritation with Dreth giving way to concern over his last sentence.

Dreth once again began to cackle wildly "Yeah, you heard me!" He yelled, "No matter what the law says. No matter what they brought you in for. You're going to die in here pretty one! You're going to die!" With that he descended into raucous laughter, rattling the cell door to taunt Thalsa even more. The Dunmer woman turned away from the cell door, eyes wide with fear. _'The guards plan to execute me? For what? Defending myself when a bloody madman bursts through my door?'_ She thought, _'No, I haven't been evading the Tong since I was seventeen just to die like a rat! Silence spell or not, I am getting out of - '_

Thalsa's thoughts were interrupted by the slamming of a door at the top of the stairs, followed by the stamping of armoured boots. "Hey, you hear that?" Dreth shouted, "The guards are coming... for you!" With another cackle, the Dunmer leaned back against the wall, eager to observe. Thalsa bent down slightly, fully prepared to fight should the guards try to execute her. Of course, she wasn't expecting to see an Imperial man, clad in the armour of the Blades. Neither did she expect that the Imperial would be just as shocked to see her as she was to see him. Behind him, the sounds of more boots on the stairs accompanied the sound of voices.

"My sons...they're dead, aren't they?" Said the first voice, which sounded like it belonged to an elderly man.

"We don't know that, Sire. The messenger only said they were attacked." Another voice, this time a woman, replied. ' _Sire?'_ thought Thalsa, _'What in Oblivion is going on?'_.

"No, they're dead... I know it" the man replied, his voice wavering.

"My job right now is to get you to safety." The woman reassured him.

"This place is familiar, the Prison?"

"Yes, your Majesty. Beneath the Legion Compound. We're headed for a secret passage known only to the Blades. No one can follow us through here." The woman explained.

The Imperial Blade, still staring in surprise at Thalsa, did not turn to greet the new arrivals. The woman, a Breton who, like the Imperial was clad in Blades armour, upon reaching the cell door was as startled to see a prisoner in the cell as her companion. Regaining her composure quickly, she spoke to the Imperial in an authoritative voice.

"What's this prisoner doing here? This cell is supposed to be off-limits." She demanded. The Imperial had no explanation to give and instead accused the common guards of causing the mix-up. Behind him, two more people appeared from the staircase. An old Imperial man in magnificent regalia, who was holding a curious gaze at Thalsa from behind his bodyguards. The other was a Redguard man, also wearing Blades armour, who kept a keen eye on the staircase as he waited. Having heard enough of the Imperial Blade's excuses, the Breton held up a hand.

"Never mind Glenroy. Just get that gate open." She interrupted. Turning to look at Thalsa, the Breton shouted "Stand back, prisoner. We won't hesitate to kill you if you get in our way." Regaining his composure, the Imperial called Glenroy pulled out a set of keys. "You! Prisoner! Stand aside. Over by the window. Stay out of the way, and you won't get hurt." He added to his superior's order.

Not wanting to risk upsetting them, Thalsa quickly back-pedalled to the wall on the far side. The cell door swung open, and Glenroy was the first through. With a hand placed warily on the hilt of his sword, he pointed at Thalsa and ordered her to stay put. Behind him, the Breton Captain led the old man to the other side of the cell. Looking behind her at the Redguard, she shouted "Baurus, lock that gate behind us."

"Yes Captain Renault." Baurus replied, turning the key in the lock as he did. Captain Renault went to work feeling the stone slabs on the wall, looking for a hidden switch. The old man now watched Thalsa, eyes wide with shock now that he could see her up close. "You ... I've seen you.." He gasped in wonder, pointing at her as he did. Rushing forward before anybody could react, he took Thalsa by the shoulders, gazing at her face.

"Let me see your face... You are the one from my dreams... Then the stars were right, and this is the day. Gods give me strength." He said despairingly before removing his hands, clasping them together in a silent prayer.

"W-What's going on? Who are you?" Thalsa demanded in confusion. The Blades all glared at her, but the old man ignored them and gazed at her once more.

"I am your emperor, Uriel Septim. By the grace of the Gods, I serve Tamriel as her ruler." He explained, "Assassins attacked my sons, and I'm next. My Blades are leading me out of the city along a secret escape route. By chance, the entrance to that escape route leads through your cell."

"I don't understand." Thalsa whispered, "Why am I in jail?"

The Emperor contemplated his answer for a few seconds. "Perhaps the Gods have placed you here so that we may meet?" He theorised, "As for whatever you have done... it does not matter. That is not what you will be remembered for."

Whilst he spoke, Renault had found the button and upon pushing it, the entire wall sank into the ground, revealing a dusty passage behind it. "Please Sire, we must get moving." She begged. Nodding in silent agreement, the emperor began to turn away. "But what should I do?" Thalsa blurted. Turning back to stare into her eyes once again, the Emperor paused for thought. "You will find your own path." He said after a few seconds "Take care... there will be blood and death before the end." With that he turned around and followed Renault down the passage, Glenroy tailing him closely.

"Looks like this is your lucky day prisoner, just stay out of our way and you'll be fine." Baurus remarked before he too disappeared down the tunnel. Thalsa briefly weighed her options for a few seconds before following the Blades at a distance, leaving an astonished Valen Dreth behind.

"Where are you going?!" he yelled "Come on, you've got to help me! Let old Valen out of this cell! You've got your freedom, now give me mine! What do you say, huh? Come on, friend! Let me out of this cell, you fetid piece of Guar dung! Let me out!"

With Dreth's pleas echoing behind her, Thalsa looked back briefly, smiling in satisfaction at his dismay before moving onwards into the dark. Perhaps freedom wasn't an impossibility just yet.


	3. Chapter II - Beneath the Prison

**A/N: Well it's been a couple of weeks since Chapter 1 went up. I planned on uploading this chapter last week, but personal matters got in the way and by the time I was able to edit it, I ended up rewriting the entire thing as it just didn't feel right to me.** ** **As always, I'd greatly appreciate reviews and favourites and with that said** , please enjoy. **

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**Chapter II – Beneath the Prison**

Thalsa stalked the tunnels beneath the Imperial Prison, following the Blades warily. Behind her, the faint sobs of the still captive Dreth echoed through the darkness. "Like I said Prisoner, just hang back and you'll be fine." Baurus said over his shoulder.

"Thanks... " Thalsa replied hesitantly, "I assume that by the way your Captain reacted back in the cell, the Guards at the Prison made a serious mix-up putting me in there."

Baurus grunted in response and said nothing more, clearly conversing with prisoners during high security escorts such as this was frowned upon. Thalsa fell behind slightly, the Blades were already on edge and she could tell that they would kill her if she continuously interfered with their mission. The escort soon ignored her presence entirely as they travelled down and down into the depths beneath the city, stopping occasionally as Captain Renault checked for side passages and hidden doorways. After half an hour of walking, the tunnel opened up into a long forgotten room illuminated by a dirty stream of sunlight coming from a narrow opening in the ceiling, roughly twenty feet above the floor.

Moving to the centre of the room, Renault held out a hand to stop the escort's progress, "Did anyone else just hear that?" She questioned the other Blades in a low voice. Glenroy nodded in acknowledgement, "Footsteps after we all stopped walking." He whispered, "We're not alone in here Captain."

Thalsa grimaced, with her magicka mostly cut off and no weapon in sight, she wouldn't last long in a fight. Although to be fair, even if she did have access to her more powerful spells, they wouldn't increase her chances of escaping by very much. Thalsa closed her eyes and tapped into her magicka pool, quickly establishing that all but her weakest spells were locked behind the Silence spell. Stepping back slowly, she made to cast a weak shield spell on herself. Baurus grabbed her arm suddenly, preventing her from casting. "What the hell are you doing?!" He hissed.

As Thalsa opened her mouth to respond, a figure leapt down from an alcove in the corner of the room. A man wearing hooded robes which were coloured bright crimson, the sigil of a rising sun on the chest. As the man rose, a red mist formed from nowhere and engulfed him. The mist dissipated and the man was now clad in bizarre armour, obsidian black with a menacing face mask. Behind him, five other figures leapt down, their robes changing into the same black armour"Its the assassins!" cried Baurus. All three Blades drew their katanas and rushed forward in formation, blocking access to the Emperor. The first assassin raised his dagger high and yelled "Death to the false Emperor! Dawn is brea-"

His cry was cut short as a lightning bolt shot past the Blades and launched the unprepared assassin backwards into the wall. The other assassins leapt back in surprise as every eye in the room gazed at the source of the spell. Thalsa's hands crackled with lightning as the Blades stared at her in silence. The assassins suddenly surged forward as one, summoning fearsome looking daedric weapons and almost catching the distracted Blades off guard.

Dodging a wild cleave from a sword, Captain Renault glanced back at Thalsa, "Cover the Emperor!" She screamed before moving to counter her attacker. The Emperor backed up besides Thalsa, his own sword drawn and ready.

Thalsa observed the battle from besides Uriel, it had become clear that the Blades were winning steadily. One assassin was already dead and as she looked on, another was decapitated by Baurus. The remaining three assassins fought on with dogmatic fervour, flinging destruction spells whenever possible.

In the chaos, Thalsa realised in horror that the leader only been knocked down by her lightning bolt, and was now rushing up to Captain Renault, whose back was turned as she engaged another assassin. As his mace swung around in a wide arc, aiming straight for the captain's head, Thalsa hastily threw a lightning bolt at him. The bolt collided with the daedric mace, sending it flying out of the assassin's hand. The assassin stumbled backwards, giving Renault enough time to finish off her foe and, with impressive speed considering the bulky armour she wore, turn to impale the other one on the end of her katana. The remaining two assassins, seeing that they were outnumbered, made a wild charge straight for the Emperor, but in their frenzy they were quickly pushed back and dispatched by Glenroy and Baurus.

The armour of the assassins faded into the same red mist that it came from and as Baurus checked the bodies to ensure they were truly dead, Captain Renault stomped up to Thalsa. "Prisoner." She spat, poking Thalsa's chest, "I told you to stay out of our way, not only did you outright defy that command, you also nearly got us all killed by attacking first!"

Thalsa spluttered in anger, "Half a moment! I didn't exactly want to get involved! Or what, did you people expect me to just sit in that cell and wait for the assassins to kill me on their way through?"

"We should kill her Captain!" Glenroy called out from across the room, "After all, she could've been planted to tail us." Renault nodded, her grip on her katana tightening. Thalsa began to back away, but halted as she felt the gentle grip of the Emperor's hand on her shoulder.

"No. She is not one of them." He stated, peering into the Dark Elf's eyes, "She can help us. She _must_ help us."

"But Sire!" Renault protested, "What if Glenroy's right? We can't risk your safety!"

"I understand your concerns Captain, but rest assured my decision is final." The Emperor said firmly. "Besides, I'm sure you can see the benefits of having another magic user with us, am I correct?"

Renault swallowed hard, "As you wish Sire." Turning to her subordinates, she signalled them to fall in behind her. Thalsa found herself walking alongside the Emperor as the escort continued through the underground passages. "They cannot understand why I trust you. They've not seen what I've seen." The Emperor explained.

"I don't understand." Thalsa replied in confusion. Uriel rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "How can I explain?" He muttered to himself. After a few seconds, he continued, "Listen. You know the Nine? How They guide our fates with an invisible hand?"

"I... I don't worship the Divines I'm afraid, I did follow the Tribunal back in Morrowind. That was a long time ago though..." Thalsa informed him. The Emperor nodded slowly, "I've served the Nine all my days, and I chart my course through the numberless sparks in the sky, each of them a fire, and every one a sign. I know these stars well, and I find myself wondering... which sign marked your birth?"

"I was born on the 10th of Mid Year in 409, under the Mage." Thalsa replied. The Emperor slowly nodded yet again, "I see... Today the Mage shall light your way on the paths of glory." He smiled kindly at her before his face fell deathly serious. "The signs I have read show the end of my path. My death is a necessary end, it will come when it will. Regardless, I am ready for it."

Thalsa stared at the old man in amazement, "You really aren't afraid to die? And the signs, can you see my fate?"

"I am unafraid, for I am fortunate enough to know the hour of my doom. I have lived well, and my ghost shall rest easy." Uriel once again began rubbing his chin as he spoke, "As for your fate? I'm afraid that my dreams do not show me what lies beyond my death and so I can offer you no guarantees of success." As the Blades halted in order to unlock a passageway, he continued, "But fear not, for I see the dawn of Akatosh's bright glory when I look at you. The tide rises ever onwards, but it may yet be stemmed by you and those who fight alongside you. With that hope, and with the assurance of your aid, I can depart peacefully."

As the passageway opened, the Emperor stared through it forlornly, his eyes fixed on things to come. "Not much farther now." He muttered before heading onwards.

Thalsa now found herself trailing at the back of the escort alongside Baurus, who gave her a weary smile, "Allow me to apologise for the gruffness of my companions, we're all on edge as I'm sure you can tell." He confessed.

Thalsa nodded in understanding, "I can't imagine what it must be like having to protect an Emperor. Is this sort of thing normal?" She asked inquisitively.

Baurus shook his head, "Not really," He replied, "But we're Emperor's bodyguard, trained to get him out of situations like this." Clicking his tongue in irritation, he then added, "Although I admit that it's not gone to plan so far."

"But what happened? I only got arrested last night and there were no rumours of a plot in the city." Thalsa exclaimed.

"We only learnt of it early this morning. As far as we're aware, there was an attack on the Emperor's three sons about five days ago. They were gathered in Gilane, something about resolving the succession crisis. One of the Blade agents guarding them was sent to warn us, but we only received the message by raven at dawn." Baurus told her as the escort again halted, this time so that Glenroy could unlock a rusted old gate.

Thalsa watched as Glenroy struggled to open the gate. "So you made for the hidden passage that happened to be in my cell. But they already knew of the escape route and beat you here." She concluded. Baurus however was focussed on Glenroy's attempts to open the gate. No matter how hard the Imperial tried, the key would not turn in the lock. Renault marched up to him, impatiently tapping her foot. "What's the bloody hold up Glenroy? Get that gate open already!" She demanded.

"I can't Captain!" The Imperial grunted as the key finally gave in and snapped cleanly in half, "The lock's jammed from the other side, on purpose from the looks of it."

"A trap!" Renault cried, drawing her katana, "We need to find another route, now!"

"There's a side passage over there!" Thalsa shouted, pointing in the direction of a small opening in the wall.

"It's worth a try, quickly now!"

The Blades hurried Thalsa and the Emperor into the side passage, which unfortunately led into a room with no exits.

"It's a dead end... What's your call Ma'am?" Baurus asked the Captain.

Renault covered her mouth with her free hand, mind furiously attempting to discover a solution. Finding that there were no other ways out, she removed her hand. "There's not much that we can do. Our only hope is to force that gate open, if all three of us force then we might..." Renault suddenly paused, looking at the entrance to the room. "Wait, did you hear that?" She whispered.

The sound of stamping metal boots echoed throughout the underground tunnels, and Thalsa swore she could hear people chanting in a strange language. _'Daedric? It can't be...'_ She thought to herself.

"They're behind us Captain!" Glenroy exclaimed. Renault ran straight for the passage, her face contorted with fury. "Wait here Sire! Prisoner, you keep the Emperor safe! Baurus! Glenroy! With me!" She shouted over the chanting as she charged through the passage, Baurus and Glenroy following suit with a cry of "For the Emperor!"

The sounds of clashing steel and magical energy erupted from the passageway, cries of pain occasionally being thrown into the mix. Thalsa steeled herself for combat, preparing a Frostbite spell to slow any assassins that made it past the Blades, when she again felt the hand of the Emperor on her shoulder.

The Emperor's face was a mask of sadness, anger and yet strangely enough, hope as well. He gazed into the Dunmer's eyes, studying them. Turning his head to look behind himself, he exhaled heavily before turning back to Thalsa and began to speak. "My guards are strong and true, but even the might of the Blades cannot hope to stand against the Power that rises to destroy us. The Prince of Destruction awakes once more, born anew in blood and fire. These cut-throats are but his mortal pawns."

Pausing for breath, the emperor untied the amulet around his neck and clutched it in one hand. "Take my amulet, find Jauffre. I have a secret son and Jauffre alone knows where he is." he pleaded, pressing the amulet into Thalsa's hands. "But then, this is the doom you mentioned?" Thalsa asked, realisation dawning on her face.

The emperor nodded in confirmation. "This is where my journey ends. For you though, the road is long and dangerous. Remember me, and remember my words. This burden is now yours alone. You hold the future of all of us in your hands. Find him, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion."

Before Thalsa could ask the emperor to explain, a blade erupted from his chest, soaking his robes with warm blood. Thalsa looked on in horror as the blade was removed and the emperor crumpled into a heap on the floor, dead before he hit the ground, revealing another assassin. The murderer brandished his blood stained weapon at Thalsa who stood before him, still shocked at the sudden death of the emperor. "Stranger." he addressed her, "You picked a bad, bad day to champion the cause of the Septims."

Without warning, the assassin lurched forward swinging his blade. Thalsa snapped back to reality with barely a moment to dodge as the weapon sliced past her neck, missing her throat by barely an inch. She leapt backwards, drawing her attacker away from the emperor's body, before flinging a hail of fire bolts to wear him down.

With the assassin's attention solely on avoiding the brunt of the fire bolts, he failed to realise that the Blades had returned. Upon seeing the body of their charge, all three guards let out cries of anger as they fell upon the murderer. Now faced with both the furious Blades and an equally enraged Thalsa, the assassin was quickly cut down in a flash of steel and fire.

With the heat of battle dying down, Thalsa and the Blades returned to the body of the Emperor. Clutching her head in despair, Renault sank to her knees, sobbing lightly as she rested her liege's head on her legs. Glenroy turned away, unable to bear the sight. Baurus however looked absolutely devastated. Noticing Thalsa watching him, he closed his eyes in sorrow.

"We've failed..." He whispered with a wavering voice, " _I've_ failed... The Blades were sworn to protect the Emperor, and now he and all his heirs are _dead_... I should have been faster, I could've saved him..."

"I'm sorry Baurus, the assassin came out of nowhere." Thalsa said apologetically, looking down at the amulet the Emperor had handed her. Following her eyes, Baurus' own eyes widened in surprise.

"The Amulet of Kings... Did the Emperor give it to you? Why?" He inquired. Thalsa raised her head to look at him, "He said to deliver it to a Jauffre, that the fate of the Empire depends on it." She explained, "What exactly is so important about the amulet?"

"The Amulet of Kings is the only way to truly identify a true Septim heir, only they can wear it as proof of their heritage. But the Emperor was the last true heir to the Dragon-blood, the power all descendants of Tiber Septim wield. Did he say why Jauffre needed the Amulet?"

"He told me that he had another son hidden away, this Jauffre is the only person who knows his location." Thalsa continued.

Glenroy turned around in surprise, "Another heir!" he exclaimed, "Of course! Grandmaster Jauffre would know for certain!"

"But... the Emperor didn't say where to find him." The Dunmer confessed.

Renault wiped tears away from her puffy eyes, clearing her throat as she did. "I know where to find him." She claimed, "Weynon Priory near Chorrol, he lives there as a monk. You'll need to get through the sewers to get out of here."

"The sewers?"

Baurus nodded, "We were supposed to head through there to get outside the city, should be a straightforward path. Shouldn't be too many threats down there either, the odd mudcrab or maybe a goblin, but you have magic so I'd say you'll be just fine."

Closing the Emperor's eyes, Renault stood up and gave Thalsa a decrepit old key. "It'll open the sewer entrance. That hidden entrance there, the one the assassin came through, looks like it leads there. Get to Weynon, Jauffre will know what to do."

"I will, but what about you?" Thalsa asked. "We need to stay with the Emperor's body, and there may be more assassins on the way to make sure the job was finished." Baurus explained wearily. Placing an armoured hand on her shoulder, the Redguard handed her a dagger. "Its not the longer blades I'm sure you're used to Spellsword, but it should make close quarters fighting a tad easier." He said jokingly, smirking when Thalsa stared at him in surprise, "I can tell a lot about a person, Thalsa was your name yes?" He questioned, the elf nodded in response, "Then go Thalsa, don't look back and may Talos be with you."

With a final glance at the resting body of the Emperor and the three bodyguards, Thalsa turned and sped down the hidden passageway. Thoughts raced through her head as she jogged through the sewers, thankfully empty despite Baurus' warnings. The Emperor seemed to think that she was some sort of chosen one and as preposterous as it sounded, she clearly had no other options but to find Jauffre and see what happened from there. The scent of fresh air eventually came to her senses, and she soon found herself walking from the darkness of the sewers into the sunlight plains of Cyrodiil.

Gazing around at her surroundings, Thalsa finally remembered the vital problem that she had neglected to inform the Blades of. She had only been in the Imperial City for three weeks, and she had arrived by ship. She had absolutely no idea where Chorrol was, or anywhere else in the Province for that matter. Slipping the Amulet of Kings into a pocket, Thalsa did the only thing that she thought would provide her with a solution, and headed for the gates of the Imperial City.


End file.
